


Getting to Know You

by Dayglo



Series: Trope Bingo Card [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Trope Bingo Round 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-30
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-28 21:13:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5105939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dayglo/pseuds/Dayglo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Natasha’s been with SHIELD six months the first time Clint takes her home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Getting to Know You

**Author's Note:**

> For the 'meet the parents/family square' on my trope bingo card.
> 
>  
> 
> This could be considered a companion piece to my fic "Home with Me", although it's not necessary to read that one first.

Natasha’s been with SHIELD six months the first time Clint takes her home.

 

They’ve just gotten back from a mission that has kept them in the Ukraine for the last three weeks.  After debrief, Agent Coulson tells them they get the weekend off.  No one cares it’s Tuesday, they now have the next two days free.  Natasha has plans.  They mostly include sleeping and reading, but they’re definite plans.

Clint has a tendency to disrupt her plans, however.

She’s barely out of the briefing room when he sidles up next to her, bouncing on his feet.  She’s instantly on alert.  “No.”

He ignores her, which isn’t a big surprise.  Thus far, he has proven to be worryingly unafraid of her.  “So, I’m gonna pick you up at your place, seven tomorrow morning, ‘kay?”

NO, that is most definitely not okay.  Getting up before 10 a.m. was _not_ in her plans, at all.  “Why?”

Clint grins, walking ahead, then turning around to look at her.  “You’ll see.”

He’s gone before she can protest.

*

True to his word, Clint shows up to her little apartment at exactly seven the next morning.  He doesn’t appear to be concerned by the fact she answers her door grumpy and with a large knife in her hand, although he did have the forethought to bring her coffee to appease her.

It’s a small consolation.

*

Three hours into their trip, Natasha’s regretting leaving her knife at home.

*

Finally, they pull to a stop.  Clint gestures with a flourish.  “Ta da!”

It’s…a farmhouse.  It’s a big old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, and the whole thing looks so much like the pictures they used to show her of America in the Red Room, she has to laugh, a little.  Clint gives her the side-eye but doesn’t comment.  Natasha opens her mouth to wonder what the hell they’re doing here, when the front door opens and a woman steps out onto the porch.  Natasha turns to her insane partner.  “Seriously?”

He grins, wide and unapologetic.  “Yep!  Come on, let’s go, Laura’s been dying to meet you.”

It scares her, how much he trusts her, sometimes.

She doesn’t move.  “This isn’t a good idea.”

Clint rolls his eyes.  “Course it is, Tash.  _Come on_. It’s just meeting my family, not an inquisition.”

“I could sell the information to your enemies”, she pointed out.  “God knows you have enough of them.”

Clint shrugs, seemingly unconcerned, as he takes off his sunglasses.  “You won’t.”

She’s silent.

He turns back to her, looking her in the eyes.  “You won’t.”  It sounds like an order, now.

Natasha stares right back at him, so he could see her sincerity.  “I would die first.”

He nodded and turned away from her as he got out.  “I know.”

Really, she has no choice but to follow. 

When she gets to the porch, Clint has his arm around the woman’s waist, and she reaches out her hand with a friendly smile.  “Hi, I’m Laura.  It’s so nice to finally meet you, Clint’s told me so much about you.”

Natasha’s not really sure how you tell your wife about the seductress rival assassin you opted not to kill and instead brought into your super-secret spy organization like a stray puppy, but now doesn’t really seem like the time to ask. Instead, she forces an answering smile.  “Likewise.  You have a lovely house.”

Laura’s smile doesn’t falter.  “Thanks, just ignore the mess inside.  _Someone_ started remodeling the kitchen, then left the country for three weeks.”  With a vicious jab of her finger to Clint’s side, she turns and walks back into the house.  Clint winces and rubs the spot, but wisely doesn’t say a word.  With a grin and sheepish shrug to Natasha, he turns and follows his wife inside.

Natasha’s beginning to understand why he doesn’t fear her, now.

*

There are children in the house.  A little boy who proclaims he’s four and a very small baby girl.  Natasha assumes she is fairly recently born.  She’s not good at judging those sorts of things, though.

*

The little boy runs up to Natasha and grabs her around the knees.  She just barely keeps from reacting badly; Clint probably wouldn’t appreciate her throwing his son through the window.  On cue, he comes running behind and quickly pries the child off of her.  “Whoa, buddy!  That’s not really a good idea.”  He scoops the kid up and flashes an apologetic grin at Natasha.  “Nat, meet Callum.  Callum, say hi to a friend of mine.”  The kid waves at her.

Natasha refuses to find it cute.

Clint wanders out of the kitchen with Callum.  Natasha curses inwardly when she hears the front door close.  Laura seems to be unperturbed by being suddenly left alone with her, and just smiles and draws Natasha into a conversation, instead. 

Natasha’s sitting on a barstool and chopping carrots while chatting with Laura, almost relaxed, when a crying sound comes from the baby monitor on the counter.  Laura leaves and comes back with the previously sleeping baby, depositing her in Natasha’s arms, then returning to the stove.  “Sorry, this is gonna burn”, she throws over her shoulder.  It sounds suspiciously like she’s smiling, though.

Natasha’s pretty sure Laura did this on purpose.

She looks at the baby in her arms, afraid to move her hands from their position and drop it.  A few seconds later, she hears an amused huff of laughter as Clint suddenly reappears and shifts her arms into a more stable position.  Natasha’s about to question why he can’t just take his kid when he walks out again.

She definitely hears laughter in the hallway, now.

Natasha continues to look warily at the baby as Laura cooks, seemingly oblivious.  She doesn’t believe that for a moment though.  Finally, she gives in.  “What’s her name?”

Laura smiles at her as she turns to face her.  “Nicole.”

She blinks and looks back down.  “Hello, Nicole.”

*

Two days later, they get ready to leave Clint’s home. (And boy is he going to get it the next time they spar.  She can’t believe he filched her go bag from her locker.)  Natasha doesn’t move as Callum once again grabs her by the knees.  She’s genuine in her affirmative answer when Laura invites her to come back again.  She even holds Nicole for a minute. 

She still punches Clint hard in the shoulder when they get in the car, though.

It’s the principle of the thing.


End file.
